A brief history of instructional technology in the United States accompanied by a timeline of instructional technology
The 1900s - 1910s
Instructional media was initially known as visual instruction or visual education. However, research has shown that since the early 1900s, the use of instructional media has been present. One of the first examples of this was the school museum. School museums would initially come in the form of portable exhibits that used slides, films, 3D pictures, and other supplemental instructional material. (Reiser & Dempsey, 2017)
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The 1920s - 1930s
The invention of the radio, sound recordings, and motion pictures with sound helped convert visual instruction into audiovisual (AV) instruction. By this time, the US already had a complete catalog of instructional films. However, Thomas Edison's prediction that "Books would be obsolete in schools..." did not and has not occurred to this day. (Reiser & Dempsey, 2017)
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The 1940s
By this time, audiovisual training had evolved into instructional technology. The field developed further during World War II as the military extensively used AV for training. The military invested significantly and quickly used audiovisual devices to train troops during the war. Falling under the Division of Visual Aids for War Training, a total of 457 training films are produced, giving the US Forces a significant lead over its adversaries during the war period. (Reiser & Dempsey, 2017)
The 1950s
Instructional Technology was evolving into Instructional Design driven by the invention of the television. Other innovations included closed-circuit educational television programing and computer-assisted instruction (CAI). However, the latter was still in its infancy, and challenges and resistance still prevailed with adoption by classroom teachers. Nevertheless, instructional television grew in popularity considerably due to Funding provided by the Ford Foundation to produce educational television and the Federal Communication Commission setting aside over 200 channels solely for this purpose. (Reiser & Dempsey, 2017)
The 1960s - 1970s
During this time, primarily in higher education and universities, Computer-Aided Education (CAI) began to be used. Atkinson and Suppes initially developed CAI, and just like predictions about the revolutionary effects on education promised by motion pictures, by the 1970s, this media had had little impact on education. (Suppes & Macken, 1978)
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The 1980s - 1990s
The widespread adoption in homes of the personal computer created the next significant shift in educational technology. This new technology was expected to impact education and be a catalyst for change considerably. This new generation of computers (the PC) was an attractive solution for schools because they were inexpensive, compact, and just as functional as their predecessors. By the 1980s, computers were used for instruction in over 40% of elementary and 75% of secondary schools. During this time, the focus was to increase the ratio of computers to students. Yet, though on average, by 1995, schools had one computer for every nine students, teacher's primarily used them for students to perform drills and practices or teaching skills such as word processing. The impact of computers seemed small, as teachers reported not using them for innovative instructional re-design purposes but rather as a treat for students if they finished their "work" ahead of their peers. (Becker, 1991)
The 2000s - 2010s
The new millennium was characterized by widespread internet use with faster and less expensive computers. Thus the major thrust has been on online instruction to deliver content. Online courses were offered at institutions and more students were taking them, online instruction was being used in industry and businesses, and mobile phones have begun to play a major role in people’s s lives. Though the educational design has changed over the years, the use of computers, networks, and the Internet seems to be the new norm alongside textbooks. (Allen & Seaman, 2008)
The Current Decade
Social media has been trumpeted as the next thing to change everything. However, just like every decade or so, new technology is implemented in the classroom, someone makes a big, bold claim, and in the end, very little change happens. For example, in the last ten years, the creation of the thin client was expected to make the personal computer obsolete, but the invention of the iPad created the thin-client obsolete. So, in the end, we still have teachers, textbooks never disappeared, the chalkboard has become the whiteboard, and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets still work alongside interactive boards in classrooms. (Xiao, 2021)
References
Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2008). Staying the course: Online education in the United States, 2008. ERIC.
Becker, H. J. (1991). How computers are used in United States schools: Basic data from the 1989 IEA computers in education survey. Journal of educational computing research, 7(4), 385–406.
Reiser, R., & Dempsey, J. (2017). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (What's New in Ed Psych / Tests & Measurements) (4th ed.). Pearson.
Suppes, P., & Macken, E. (1978). The Historical Path from Research and Development to Operational Use of CAI. Educational Technology, 18(4), 9–12.
Xiao, J. (2021). Decoding new normal in education for the post-COVID-19 world: Beyond the digital solution. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 16(1), 141–155.
Becker, H. J. (1991). How computers are used in United States schools: Basic data from the 1989 IEA computers in education survey. Journal of educational computing research, 7(4), 385–406.
Reiser, R., & Dempsey, J. (2017). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (What's New in Ed Psych / Tests & Measurements) (4th ed.). Pearson.
Suppes, P., & Macken, E. (1978). The Historical Path from Research and Development to Operational Use of CAI. Educational Technology, 18(4), 9–12.
Xiao, J. (2021). Decoding new normal in education for the post-COVID-19 world: Beyond the digital solution. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 16(1), 141–155.